Knife In a Gunfight: Consistently Lagging Behind The Rest Of The Class

"Warmed-over Ford" is a slur that all too often accompanies reviews of Lincoln products, but not without reason. The new 2013 Lincoln MKZ aimed to change all that, and change things it has, but is it better by far enough to be more than Ford-Plus?

That's still a tough case to make, when given all the data.As you may recall, we already tested an MKZ 2.0L EcoBoost all-wheel drive model late last year. That car, though, came to us suspiciously fitted with Michelin Pilot Super Sport high-performance tires that weren't, at the time, actually offered as a factory option. You can now get them as part of a Summer Tire Handling Package, though Lincoln's public and media website don't actually specify which tires are fitted. With the help of that cheater rubber, it hit 60 mph in a respectable 6.6 seconds, ran the quarter-mile in 15 seconds flat at 91.2 mph and stopped from 60 mph in 106 feet, a foot shorter than a Mustang GT. It went on to pull a 0.91 g average on the skid pad and run our Figure Eight test in 26.5 seconds pulling 0.63 g average. We had to wonder, though, how much that non-standard rubber was inflating those numbers.

The answer is: a lot. The model we've tested here is also an all-wheel drive car powered by the same 240-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine cranking out 270 pound-feet of torque and dropping it through a six-speed automatic. This time, though, it's equipped with the factory rubber: Michelin Primacy MXM4s. The cars are equipped a little differently, with this new one weighing a negligible 18 pounds less than the previously tested vehicle. The results, then, shouldn't be too different, right?Wrong. This new car needed 7.2 seconds to hit 60 mph and 15.5 seconds to run the quarter-mile, trapping at 89.4 mph. The rest of the metrics suffered likewise. Braking from 60 mph increased to a good but not astounding 115 feet, while skid pad performance dropped to a 0.85 g average. Its Figure Eight result predictably suffered as well, increasing to 27.3 seconds at 0.63 g average.

Now, the MKZ does not claim to be a sports sedan, but it's still worthwhile to compare its performance to the rest of its competitive class. All of those objective test measurements lag significantly behind the rest of the segment, in most cases even using the numbers generated by the Super Sport tires. Per our most recent comparison tests, only the Acura TSX V-6 pulled a lower skid pad number and only the defunct Infiniti G25 was slower to 60 mph and through the quarter-mile. The also defunct previous-generation Lexus IS 250 was dead even with the MKZ to 60 mph and a tenth of a second behind in the quarter-mile. The Acura and Infiniti likewise needed greater distance to stop from 60 mph, and were joined in this by the Volvo S60 T-5. The MKZ was otherwise outperformed by those cars as well as the Audi A4 Quattro 2.0-liter turbo, BMW 328i, the Buick Regal GS, the Cadillac ATS 2.0-liter Turbo and the old Lexus IS 250. The new IS 250 accelerated exactly like the old one, so it's still a tie there, and the new Infiniti Q50 has dropped the small engine, so it's really no comparison. It'll at least hang with a four-cylinder Acura TSX in the turns and beat it in braking, but it'll still lose the drag race to 60 mph and through the quarter.

The numbers look better when we consider the rest of the MKZ range. When equipped with the optional 3.7-liter V-6, producing 300 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque, and likewise powering all four wheels, acceleration improves predictably. 60 mph arrives in 6.4 seconds and the quarter-mile mark passes in 14.7 seconds at 95.9 mph. Stopping from 60 mph happens in the same 115 feet while skid pad and Figure Eight performance lag slightly, the former recording 0.83 g average and the latter coming in at 27.4 seconds at 0.63 g average. For what it's worth, the V-6 engine is only a $1230 option, so if straight-line speed is your mistress, you're getting a substantial benefit for your money. Of course, you'll still be trailing the base 328, ATS and S60 as well as every uprated V-6 version of those cars and the rest of the class mentioned above. There is the Lexus ES 350, which is also faster than the Lincoln but stops longer and pulls fewer g on the skid pad and Figure Eight, with a slower corresponding lap time. So, there's that.Of course, there's one more car I haven't mentioned, and that's the Ford Fusion. Equipped with the same 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive, the Fusion is nearly 300 pounds lighter and hits 60 mph in 6.8 seconds and runs the quarter-mile in 15.1 seconds at 91.6 mph. It stops slightly longer, needing 117 feet, and holds the road nearly as well with a 0.84 average g skid pad number. It tops the Lincolns with a 27.2-second Figure Eight lap at 0.64 g average.

If there's a category where the MKZ shines brighter, it's with the Hybrid model. Of course, that's because almost nobody makes a competitor. Those that do again tend to outperform the Lincoln, though not as handily. The MKZ Hybrid uses its 141 horsepower and 129 pound-feet, combined with an electric motor for a total output of 188 horsepower, to put down an 8.8-second run to 60 mph followed by a 16.7-second quarter-mile time at 84.9 mph. Power, in this case, goes to the front wheels only through a continuously variable transmission. Braking is a bit longer at 119 feet, while handling barely changes with 0.84 average g recorded on the skid pad along with a 27.6-second Figure Eight lap at 0.60 average g.The most direct competitor is the Lexus ES 300h, and it beats the MKZ Hybrid easily in a straight line, by more than a second to 60 mph and by nearly as much in the quarter mile. The ES, though, needs a greater braking distance and can't hang on the skid pad or Figure Eight. Likewise, it can't hang with the Lincoln on EPA-estimated fuel economy, where the MKZ is ahead by at least five mpg across the board. The only other full-hybrid competitor (excluding Buick's mild-hybrid Regal) is the new Q50, which is V-6 powered and easily trounces the Lincoln in every category but fuel economy. Not really a fair fight.

Would the Fusion Hybrid be a fairer fight? If you said yes, you'd be right. The Fusion Hybrid is quicker than the MKZ Hybrid, stops shorter and gets slightly better fuel economy. The MKZ wins the handling tests with greater grip on the skid pad and a quicker, grippier Figure Eight lap.There's one final measurement we haven't talked about, and it's price. The MKZ starts at $36,820 for the four-cylinder or hybrid models. Make it $38,710 for all-wheel drive, and add $1230 to either for the V-6. All Fusion models start well below those numbers, as you might imagine. Every competitor listed in this story, short of the Infiniti Q50 and the Lexus ES 300h, also start cheaper than the Lincoln, by a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.Empirically, then, it's difficult to make a strong case for the MKZ. That's not to say that it's a bad car, subjectively. In fact, all the models drive nicely and are pretty quiet inside, except the hybrid, which has more engine noise than the other two when it's running. We also noticed some noise from the all-wheel drive system on the V-6 above 70 mph, but it may be limited to this specific car. Acceleration in all but the hybrid is plenty for getting around town and on the highway without wanting for more.

Front seat space is more than adequate, which is also more than can be said for the rear seat. Even without the monster sun roof option, my perfectly average 5-foot-9-inch frame puts my hair in the headliner. Said huge sunroof is a neat party trick, but when fully opened obscures the top half of the already small rear window, further reducing rearward visibility.MyLincoln Touch is a thinly veiled re-skin of MyFord Touch, and it works as well. The hybrid gauge cluster is identical to the Fusion Hybrid's, making that car feel less special. The push-button transmission is actually a thoughtful touch as it frees-up center console space, plus the only other automaker doing it is Aston Martin. Good company.In all, the Lincoln MKZ isn't a bad car, particularly not if your grandparents are just planning on tootling around town. It's quiet, it's comfortable in the front, it gets good gas mileage and it actually handles nicely should you ever push it a bit, which you probably won't. The problem remains, though, that it's not really competitive in its class. Worse still, while it's a good car, it's not a great car, which Lincoln (still) desperately needs.

Like you said, Lincoln isn't selling this as a "performance sedan." It's a posh ride. I'd like to see some comparisons of mid-size sedans for smooth ride, quietness, luxury features, safety features, and cabin tech. I'm betting the MKZ would do well. We are not all looking for racing cars.

Where do you get the price numbers, from Ford/Lincoln website? Negotiating at the dealership is the key. I got my MKZ hybrid for slightly over 40K with reserve package, glass roof, cooled/heated seats. This is the "second best" package that differs from the highest package by the sound system, heated/cooled back seats and some gimmicky tech features I didn't need. A similarly loaded Fusion Titanium was 38K. Remember Fusions are oversubscribed so they were less reluctant to negotiate. To me it was exactly 2-3K difference formula, so of course I went for MKZ for the glass roof, smoother ride, better design and sound deadening.

I have MKZ hybrid. No other luxury class hybrid has the same performance, elegance, and yet great versatility: large cargo space (30.5 cf) that allows transport bikes and skies, cheap 87 grade gas, and the glass roof. The roof makes it a 2-in-1 sedan/cabriolet and I use this favorite feature all the time during summer rides with my kids, it's not just a party feature! You can see through the roof when it slides open, so to me there is no rear visibility issue at all. And the car is indeed much cooler in the summer with glass roof vs. metal roof cars. The telematics system is excellent; infotainment has features like replaying HD music, alert by the genre and by composer and many others that make daily driving entertaining.

Why not a Fusion hybrid? Fusion hybrid Titanium, the only product in Fusion line that comes close to MKZ, is not cheap either. Do those reviewers know that Titanium with same features as MKZ is around 38K, only $3K short of a similarly loaded MKZ hybrid?? To me, paying an extra 2-3K for the glass roof, better infotainment and design, better sound deadening, was money well spent. Seriously considered Avalon, but was turned off by the small cargo volume and highway noise. The rest of the "luxury" hybrid offerings were way too expensive (new hybrid Lexuses or Audis) or too small for a family sedan that we needed (Infinity).

Lincoln indeed created a successful iconic new car that is loved by the customers just for the combination of what it has to offer to a regular driver, not for some numbers. It's very appealing to young drivers, for it futuristic look and features, it will succeed.

It's a head turning car, especially in metallic black. I seriously doubt the summer tires had any effect on straight line performance. An AWD car with modest power isn't going to break any tire loose. I'm guessing the 2014 wasn't broken in as well, atmospheric conditions were different, or maybe the '13 was a ringer. That being said I doubt many Lincoln owners head to the drag strip on Friday nights. They spend eight paragraphs discussing it's lackluster performance numbers and then say in the last paragraph it's basically spot on for the demographic. Although all of the MKZ drivers I've seen so far don't have gray hair.

Remember we are not the #1 auto market in the world anymore. I'm sure Lincoln would love to be a "buick" in China and be a top brand in the #1 auto market there. Last time I checked Buick was FWD and pretty basic in terms of performance. But perhaps it has the branding, and style they like over there.

ok Lincoln are you listening.......take the ford mustang, and build a four door sports sedan off of it. offer a 4 turbo, six, six turbo, and a V-8. start by buying a new CTS Vsport, and a 2002 M5 and start reverse engineering. Anything you build would be better than the MKZ. Rear wheel drive and a real shifter, or just go the way of Mercury.....your choice

I placed the 2013 MKZ in Katie`s Coffee and Cars at Great Falls, VA between a Mustang and Porsche. I received alot of attention and positive comments. I get 37,2 mpg to 42.7 mpg with my heavy foot. This car was purchased for style and comfort not racing, I will use my 1973 Porsche 911 S for that fun. Also my dealer gave me a lifetime warranty for engine, transmission and drive train. Try to get that out of BMW or Cadillac. No extra costs.

I knew that the car was ugly, (view second gen Dodge Intrepid rear end) but had no idea that it didn't perform even close to what it should. I know that platform sharing leads to higher profit margins, but without the performance and comfort to back the higher price up, is it really worth keeping a mediocre car company around. (Saturn etc.)

Lincolns, BMWs and Mercedes with 4 cylinder engines---ye Gods! I can't stand the sound of a high revving, 4 cylinder. I will never take my car to a skid pad and could care less if it pulls 1/10 of a 'G' more than another.

Why can't we just get realistic test drives that discuss the comfort, noise levels and overall driving satisfaction of the car? Holding with the brakes and burning rubber to get the best time at the track---really? Do most people really do that?

How about some feedback articles from those who have had good or bad experiences with their cars---something useful for a change.

I would love to see some creativity in designs. My Chrysler 300 hemi has a unique design (except for that grill which they use on every model they make, and charge extra for a decent looking one) and is liked by young and old alike. Now, Ford Taurus has copied it to a great extent. Remember the days when you could tell the brand and model from a block away? Now, we have to look for the name tag to see who built it. Cars have gone the way of houses---mostly they all look alike. I'm surprised they haven't settled on one or two colors---like beige and light tan.

And yet the MKZ is outselling the ATS with 1/10th the investment and far great profit per vehicle. What one do you think is more appealing to sell as a company? I think it's time uneducated journalists stopped telling automakers how to build cars.

I'm disappointed with Ford, surely someone in the board room could have spoken up and said 'guys this ain't good enough to be a Luxury Car'....and before they launched this car. I know the Fusion well, its a competent car in its class and there are few reasons to buy a entry level MKZ against a loaded Fusion unless you really want a Lincoln or love the way to the car looks. The Lincoln moniker is troubled, the marketing attempt is in full swing and is attracting new buyers. The bucks stops there, this is effectively a Ford Fusion with mild interior upgrades and restyled exterior, sold in the corner of a Ford Dealership. Its just not upmarket enough when you have a BMW dealership, Infinity, Lexus, Jaguar next door. The buying experience should be elevated as should the ownership with courtesy cars and fancy showrooms... and the cars should be superb. I'm sad for Ford, I think they dropped the ball this time, bad timing as GM re engineers and markets Cadillac with some highly competent cars. I am starting to think Lincoln should have reworked the Town Car into some thing spectacular, big and efficient for the Limo market and generation that wants a floaty cruiser and kept it as that. Maybe they need to just created a premium spec Level in the Ford line up instead - like GMC does with the Denali and put Lincoln to bed.

Who is MKZ's competitor? It's not enough of a car to be in a class of its own, like a Porsche 911 or a Mercedes SL. It doesn't hold a candle to a Cadillac ATS or CTS, or a BMW 3 or 5. It's a bit like a Cadillac 2-seater Allante or XLR ... a car that nobody wanted made for a market that didn't exist.

Bottom line, Lincoln is on its way to a place in history, just like Mercury. Ford would probably do better to follow the BMW/Mercedes strategy and have models at various price/performance/luxury levels all within one brand. The old model of having different brands built on the same platforms is on its way out. For GM, Pontiac and Oldsmobile bit the dust, and Buick will probably be next. For Chrysler, the Plymouth, DeSoto and Imperial are buried deep in the annals of automotive history, along with Studebaker, Nash, Hudson and scores of other defunct brands. But, you octogenarians who bought a MKZ recently, enjoy it while you last. ;)

You ever sit behind a Ford Fusion and look at the tail lights. It looks like the creatures eyes from the 50's movie "creature from the black lagoon". The Escape as well. Bringing me to my point of the Lincoln. Ford can hardly ever get the front end of their cars to match the back end in design.

Cadillac is trying to build cars to compete with the best of Europe while Lincoln will be happy if they can attract enough sales to survive; thus both companies are building their best cars in over a generation and it's the consumer who will be the winners because neither can afford to make any serious mistakes.

The article is very right. MKZ is a hard sell unto itself. Very little about it distinguishes it from any other model, including Fusion, to make it more attractive or a better value proposition. The reasons Lincoln isn't relevant do NOT include the lack of a trick roof.

The criticism of the Michelin tires is at least partially unfair. A performance handling package IS offered.that includes them - and recalibrated dampers and other systems. What's not mentioned is how much switchgear is borrowed directly from Fusion, or how touches like not connecting the tailpipes to their sculpted tips were overlooked, bespeaking less than the superior workmanship and attention to detail the brand supposedly is meant to imbue over the Blue Oval, especially since Ford insists upon deriving whatever return it can get from Lincoln based upon shared platforms only.

Regrettably, Ford is working the equation backwards. It's starting from the tools it already has on the shelf and seeing what kind of car it can make from them rather than specifying a relevant car and acquiring the tools needed to make it. Especially at the price point Ford hopes MKZ to occupy, it's just not enough - and it's not done well enough.

I still believe Ford would've been better-off reducing Lincoln to a single, unique and uncompromising vehicle sold only through select Ford stores - at least until Lincoln re-establishes some sort of meaning. But not for the 1,000 dealers it would've needed to contend with, I suspect it might have done so. Until then, combined with U.S. makers' innate lack of appreciation for what a comprises "luxury", I fear more of the same is in-store from Lincoln which, to even a greater degree than Cadillac, is merely an impression of what a luxury segment car is suppose to be rather than an organically-created original.

Split-wing grilles don't matter. Full-width tail lights don't matter. Customers care about neither. A vehicle they enjoy driving, which they aspire to have seen parked in their driveway by themselves and others will be the first to yield the kind of success Ford needs Lincoln to be. But not for the high-margin potential and purely additive volume it may find in new markets like China, it might even not be worth the effort. Bear in mind, with Lincoln contributing little if anything to Ford's record Q3, the Blue Oval brand is doing just fine serving the mass market, thankyouverymuch.

And this comes from one of Ford's most ardent supporters - which includes caring enough about Ford to be candid about the real issues that remain so it may address them or move on.

I don't see the current direction that Lincoln is headed as being particularly sustainable. The MKZ has a notable but weird looking front end that is likely to become quickly dated. The styling, though nice, doesn't stand out as being anything really special. It's just not unique enough to gain a large enough niche in the market. I would have expected more from Lincoln. A Ford Fusion Titanium is probably an all-around better deal for price of parts and insurance, and the performance is quite similar.

As a BMW enthusiast I totally disagree with this review. The MKZ is not targeted to buyers looking for performance, but instead to buyers looking for style, luxury, comfort, safety, and value. We know from the get go that this car is not something for the performance driving enthusiast so you should review it as such.

I am concerned about Lincoln's marketing though. Many luxury products are successful because they can do a lot more than people even need. But people will buy these product exactly because they know that it can do a lot more. So they get this sense of superiority having spent the extra cash for this, even though they never use it to what it's been designed for. A Mercedes G55 is an extreme example that proves my point.

I purchased a 2013 MKZ hybrid in September and it looks nothing like a Fusion. I think both vehicles look great but nothing like each other. I really enjoy the MKZ and I think it is a well designed vehicle that drives and handles great for my needs.

Its surprising how you state that the MKZ is nothing more than an upscaled Fusion, how about Cadillac and the Chevy's they are made from or Lexus and Toyota's. All BMS's have the same front ends and Nissan's and Infiniti's share the same platforms. Next time you compare vehicles look at the side views and tell me boy that sure looks like a Chevy or an Infinity or a Toyota.

Until MT pays for what I buy I still like the MKZ and look forward to driving mine.

@wayne77 You can get all of that by reading the previous articles we've written about the MKZ. This is a First Test article, in which we report the results of our objective, instrumented testing. For those other stories, click here:

@wayne77 I agree. The Linc buyer is buying ride, handling, quiet -- not skid pad performance. And I keep seeing Hyundai sedans and mistaking them for Mercedes. Most current cars have more power than their owners will ever use, but little personality. I just keep my ancient Alfa Romeo running for fun and use the modern cars to carry stuff.

@DonnerVogel Considering that the two cars are designed for very different drivers and very different types of driving, you're not comparing apples to apples. The ATS is a BMW 3 series killer. The people that buy the Caddy are looking for spirited, highly capable performance on the road. The MKZ is a FWD car. Try taking a RWD performance car and a FWD car to the track and see which one give the better performance. The simple fact is that these two cars appeal to different types buyers. Do you think that the automotive press will be dong a comparison between a 3 series Beemer and a Lincoln MKZ? Did Ford take their car to the Nurburgring to prove it's world class performance? No. Comparing the two cars is apples and oranges. There will always be a larger customer base for a luxury biased car. Most people don't particularly want a car that required the amount of driver engagement and the firmer ride quality that goes with it. I don't understand why the MKZ buyer don't spend a lot less money on a Ford Fusion. It's 90% of the MKZ for as much as $9,000. It doesn't have a retraceable that blocks the rearward vision when opened.

@E Remford You are correct on the tires. That statement was worded poorly and has been updated. Lincoln does now offer a Summer Tire Handling Package, which was not available when we were originally supplied an MKZ for testing.

@E Remford, Buyers care immensely about looks. Especially in the mid-sized luxury segment, are you kidding? Split grills, art deco details, streamlined taillights, absolutely do matter. Much more than the stupid Summer performance tire package, I can assure you. I would also submit that a vehicle's pedigree and history mean very little to the vast majority of buyers if it's the right package at the right price. Those things mean much more to Motortrend readers (a minuscule percentage of the motoring public) than real world buyers. People who don't read car magazines would never guess that a new Fusion parked next to a new MKZ had any relationship at all. We saw just that scenario when my wife was shopping and I had to tell her about it. She shrugged her shoulders and is now the very happy owner of a new Lincoln MKZ. And just like 95% of the people shopping this segment, for all of the reasons I have already mentioned.

@Philipp This is a First Test article, wherein we report the results of our objective, instrumented testing. We've written several articles about the MKZ that do not focus exclusively on its performance but rather on the things you mention. You can find them here:

@expedition99_red The Cadillac ATS and CTS are built on an exclusive platform not shared with Chevrolet. Likewise the Lexus IS and GS. True, some Cadillac and Lexus models do share platforms with Chevrolets and Toyotas, but every Lincoln shares a platform with a Ford.

As availablename already stated, it was MT who directly compared the two and I have every right to challenge that.

That said, my family owns a Ford dealership, and the whole segmentation approach people take to vehicle analysis is simply wrong. Individuals come in shopping between Journeys, Fusions, Escapes, Mercedes, F-150s and Cruzes. The notion that people only shop in the segments that we define is lunacy. The only real segmentation that occurs is if one is in need of a vehicle with certain capabilities (eg Towing, seating capacity, etc) in which a broad spectrum of what we call 'segments' offer appropriate vehicles.

The ATS is UNDOUBTEDLY cross shopped with an MKZ. If an individual is in need of a well-appointed, reasonably priced, luxury offering what other vehicles are they going to compare from each brand? Honestly, to the average buyer who does not pay heed to 'Ring times, chassis development, or 0-60, the MKZ is a much more appealing offering. Your time on this site seems to have deluded you from the reality that the vast majority of customers simply do not care.

You've missed the entire point. Nobody cares about a split-wing grille. Buyers DO want inspired aesthetics and Lincoln is trying to substitute one for the other - without the benefit of having become as iconic as BMW's double kidney.

Nor is a "signature" cue necessary. Where's Audi's? The best are timeless organic shapes whose longevity makes them iconic. Look how poorly the new Lexus "spindle", Acura's cheese grater or whatever the hell Infiniti wants to do is serving their respective brands.

Embracing these problems rather than rationalizing them is the only hope Lincoln's future has.

@availablename I must respectfully disagree with your interpretation of Donner's comment. When he talks about the MKZ outselling the ATS and with a higher profit margin, then that's a direct comparison. Thank you for your kind words, though.

@expedition99_red Agree with you - those "exclusive" platform Japanese cars that Scott mentions also cost thousands more than MKZ. And I personally would never drive a Cadillac regardless of its platform: even redesigned it looks like a car for old military retirees, while MKZ is super futuristic! The only fair comparison between Fusion/MKZ would be Avalon/Lexus ES and comparison won't be in favor of Toyota cars. MKZ is by far more remote from Fusion than ES from Avalon. Only a person who never drove such technically advanced car as MKZ can tell that this car is for 80 y.o.!